Thesis

The following is an outline of the thesis process. Click on each step to access information and links to forms that are relevant to that particular step. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the steps, please contact our office at OTDS@tamuc.edu or (903)886-5968.

518 is the three semester credit hour thesis course students take to receive credit for their thesis. Students must be registered in 518 to receive thesis-related services, such as those provided by the thesis advisory committee and by OTDS. Students must be registered in 518 when they submit their proposal and they must be registered in 518 when they submit their final thesis. Therefore, students are required to take a minimum of six semester credit hours of 518. The two 518 courses must be taken in separate semesters.

After registering for your first 518 course, work with your thesis advisor to form your thesis advisory committee. Your committee must have at least three members (including your thesis advisor) from your department. A faculty member from a different department (who has the applicable knowledge and/or expertise) may serve on the committee if the student so desires. For all University requirements regarding thesis advisory committees please see University Procedure 11.99.99.R0.06. Once the committee is formed, fill out the Thesis Committee Selection form, obtain the signatures of your committee members and your department head, and submit the form electronically to OTDS. Once you have received an email from OTDS stating the committee has been approved, you may move forward in the process.

Work with your committee to prepare your proposal for defense. All proposals must follow the formatting shown in the thesis template. Thesis students are not required to schedule the proposal defense through the Graduate School, so as soon as you and your advisor feel you are ready, work with your committee to schedule a date, time, and location to hold the proposal defense. Make sure to bring the Proposal Approval Form (found in the Thesis Proposal Packet) to the defense so you can obtain the signatures of your committee members if they approve your proposal. After receiving approval from your committee, submit the form and the proposal to your Department Head and your College Dean for their review and approval. After both the Department Head and College Dean have read and approved the proposal, keep the form for use in Step 3. Make all changes suggested by your committee, Department Head, and College Dean.

Regarding data collection:

Students conducting studies that do not require IRB, IACUC, or IBC approval may begin data collection after completing RCR training through CITI and after receiving approval from their advisor to do so. Students do not need proposal approval from OTDS to begin data collection.

Students conducting studies that require IRB, IACUC, or IBC approval may begin data collection after receiving approval from the appropriate reviewing body. Students do not need proposal approval from OTDS to begin data collection.

If you are unsure about whether or not your study requires approval from IRB, IACUC, or IBC, please visit their websites.

After making all changes suggested by your committee, Department Head, and College Dean, provide a copy of the revised proposal to your advisor for review. If your advisor agrees that all necessary changes were made, he or she will need to sign the Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis Proposal form (located in the Thesis Proposal Packet). You will need to sign the form as well. After the form is signed, prepare your proposal submission packet. The Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis Proposal form has a list of items that must be included as attachments in your submission email. All items must be submitted electronically to OTDS. Hard copies of the submission materials will not be accepted. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure all materials are received by the appropriate deadline. Approvals for proposals submitted past the deadline will be processed for the following semester. Keep in mind that students are required to receive proposal approval from OTDS at least one semester prior to the semester in which they graduate. You cannot defend your final thesis in the same semester in which you receive proposal approval from OTDS.

The OTDS Review:

During the review, OTDS will check your paper for conformity to the thesis template and to the guidelines as specified in your chosen style manual (APA, MLA, ACS, etc.). The style guides OTDS currently owns include APA, MLA, ACS, AIP, CSE, Chicago, Turabian, JAS, JAAE, JWM, APSA, PRL, and RMP. If you are using a style guide that is not listed, it is your responsibility to provide OTDS with access to a copy of the style manual. OTDS will send you an approval email when your proposal is approved. Please keep a copy of the approval emails for your records. All revisions recommended by OTDS must be made before the final thesis is submitted. Theses that contain issues identified in the proposal review will be sent back to the student for additional revisions.

Register for your final three hours of 518. Following thesis approval, continue to collect data, analyze data, and write your final thesis chapters. Make sure you remain in contact with your advisor regarding your progress on your thesis. Also, be aware of the deadlines that are relevant to you.

Once you and your advisor feel you are ready, work with your committee to schedule a date, time, and location to hold the final defense. Once a date is set, fill out the Notification Form for the Thesis Defense and submit to OTDS at least one week prior to the defense date. Submitting the form lets us know you intend to graduate and tells us to watch for your final submission. Make sure to bring the Thesis Final Defense Report (located in the Final Thesis Submission Packet) to your final defense so you can acquire the signatures of your committee members if they approve your thesis. After receiving approval from your committee, submit the form and thesis to your Department Head and your College Dean for their review and approval. After both the Department Head and College Dean have read and approved the thesis, keep the form for use in Step 5. Make all changes suggested by your committee, Department Head, and College Dean.

After making all changes suggested by your committee, Department Head, and College Dean, provide a copy of the revised proposal to your advisor for review. If your advisor agrees that all necessary changes were made, he or she will need to sign the Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis form (located in the Final Thesis Submission Packet). You will need to sign the form as well. After the form is signed, prepare your thesis submission packet. The Advisor’s Approval to Submit Thesis form has a list of items that must be included as attachments in your submission email. All items must be submitted electronically to OTDS. Hard copies of the submission materials will not be accepted. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure all materials are received by the appropriate deadline. Approvals for theses submitted past the deadline will be processed for the following semester. Keep in mind that theses that do not follow the thesis template and do not follow the guidelines specified in the relevant style guide will require revisions and therefore may take longer to receive approval. If the needed revisions are not made in a timely manner, your graduation eligibility may be impacted. If revisions are needed prior to approval, OTDS will notify your advisor. It is imperative that you read all feedback provided to you by OTDS and make all recommended changes. If your thesis is approved, you will be notified via email. The approval email will include instructions for uploading the approved thesis to ProQuest. Make sure you follow the instructions exactly to ensure your thesis is processed successfully. At this time you will be asked to pay the binding fees (you will pay through ProQuest at the time the thesis is uploaded) and the thesis processing fee (this will be applied to your student account).

The graduation application opens in myLeo at the start of the semester. After submitting your application, the Graduate School will be in communication with you throughout the semester regarding your graduation eligibility. Uploading to ProQuest and paying the related fees are requirements for graduation, so make sure those steps are completed prior to the graduation ceremony. After you receive confirmation from OTDS that all thesis-related requirements have been met, you are free to prepare for the graduation ceremony (assuming all program-related requirements have also been met). Make sure you are at the Field House at the required time and that you are wearing your graduation regalia.

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Fall 2017

First Class Day: August 28, 2017

Last Date for Final Defense of Theses & Dissertations for Fall Graduates: October 27, 2017